Doctors shelve protest after promise of revised stipends

If govt fails to pay within a week, boycott of health services to resume on March 10

Young doctors of the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) suspended their boycott of health services on Monday after Sindh Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho promised them revised stipends within a week.

“A delegation of CHK Young Doctors Association (YDA) met Dr Pechuho, who assured them that revised stipends would be issued to postgraduate doctors and house officers of the hospital within a week,” said YDA Vice-President Dr Shuah Mir. “On his assurance, the YDA has deferred its protest until March 10.”

Since February 22 CHK’s young doctors, including postgraduate trainees and house officers, have boycotted health services at the hospital to protest against non-payment of revised stipends like their colleagues at other hospitals have been receiving.

They said postgraduate doctors at the Jinnah Hospital were being paid Rs65,000 a month while they were receiving Rs42,500. Similarly, they added, house officers were being paid Rs24,000 instead of Rs30,000 in accordance with the government’s notification.

The protest had created countless problems for patients visiting the CHK across the province, as the young doctors had boycotted the outpatient departments while hundreds of surgeries were also put on hold.

The protesting doctors had warned the government that they would boycott all health services, including emergency duties, if their demands were not met by the authorities.

But on Monday a delegation of CHK’s young doctors was invited to the negotiating table by the health secretary, who assured the protesters that their demands had been accepted by the authorities and that they would be paid revised stipends within a week.

Dr Mir, who was part of the delegation, said he was accompanied by Dr Waris Jakhrani, Dr Faryal Sharif and Dr Samia Tasleem, adding that they met Dr Pechuho and apprised him of their grievances, especially the issue of revised stipends.

“He [the health secretary] told us that he had discussed the issue of revised stipend with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Health Minister Dr Sikandar Mandhro and the finance secretary, and they all agreed to pay stipends in accordance with the government’s notification.”

Dr Pechuho sought a week’s time to pay the revised stipends, said Dr Mir, adding that the delegation decided to postpone the protest until March 10 so that the authorities could have ample time for keeping their word.

“We have called off our protest and deferred the boycott of health services until March 10. We are hopeful that our issue would be resolved much before the deadline.”

CHK Medical Superintendent Dr Zulfiqar Siyal confirmed that the young doctors had called off their boycott after meeting the health secretary and hoped that their issue would be resolved for good for the sake of patients.